By whatever starting metric is used, the withdrawal process for Covis Pharma’s preterm birth prevention drug Makena (hydroxyprogesterone caproate) was a long one, with the drug removed from the market:
Makena Vs. Avastin: No Contest When It Came To Withdrawal Process Duration
Approximately 41 months passed from the initial advisory committee meeting in October 2019 on Makena’s potential withdrawal to the 5 April 2023 final decision by FDA's commissioner and chief scientist - more than double the length of the same interval in the accelerated approval withdrawal proceeding involving the breast cancer claim for Genentech's Avastin.

More from Post-Marketing Regulation & Studies
Regulatory authorities from multiple regions are considering extending a pilot project related to collaborative assessments of post-approval chemistry, manufacturing and controls changes, with a focus on the supply of critical medicines.
The pharmaceutical industry was not sufficiently involved in designing updates to England’s health data infrastructure, leading to a “misalignment” between company needs and what is currently being delivered, according to the results of a survey by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.
Patient advocates and sponsors want the US to reconsider a 20-year-old class warning against the use of antipsychotics in patients with dementia. The agency is weighing the issue, but also defending the current labels of newer agents.
Amid complaints about the challenges of following gene therapy patients for up to 15 years, OTP Director Nicole Verdun said the FDA is considering how to conduct long-term postmarket studies more efficiently.
More from Product Reviews
Eli Lilly’ will request a re-examination after the European Medicines Agency declined to recommend its Alzheimer’s disease drug Kisunla for EU approval.
The European Medicines Agency’s qualification of the AIM-NASH tool is said to signify a major advancement for clinical trials for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. The market size for MASH treatments is expected to grow substantially in the coming years.
Novartis is planning to file EU and US marketing applications for an intrathecal formulation of its spinal muscular atrophy gene therapy, Zolgensma, in H1 2025.